A Chrismukkah Carol
by BSCfan
Summary: Caleb hates the holiday but after three visits during the night, he might end up changing his mind.
1. Chapter 1

A Chrismukkah Carol

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in relation to the O.C. This is my first OC fanfic so I'm pretty nervous. I just started watching the show on DVDs about a month ago and fell in love with it (on season 3 right now).

Timeline: I guess during Season 2? However Lindsay doesn't exist and Julie/Caleb never happened so it's a bit AU.

"Seth is going to kill me if we don't get the decorations up by tonight," Kirsten muttered as she looked helplessly at the piles of paper on her work desk.

"I can't believe your Dad is making you work during the holidays," Ryan stated looking up from the design template he was examining on a laptop.

"Have you met my Dad? Work comes before everything."

"Why are you doing all of this yourself? You must have a bunch of people to your disposal?"

Kirsten sighed. "This is probably our biggest project of the year and my Dad doesn't want anyone else to touch it. He'll probably flipped if he found out I had you helping me."

"Well… it could be our little secret then," Ryan smiled shyly and Kirsten reciprocated a smile before returning back to her computer.

"Kiki! How is the Anderson project coming along?" A thunderous voice boomed as its owner entered the office uninvited.

"Dad!" Kirsten exclaimed surprised, looking at Ryan in a panic. Ryan hastily closed the laptop and opened his physics book; inwardly relieved that Caleb hadn't notice his presence in the room yet.

"Well? How is it going?" Caleb demanded impatiently.

"It's going fine," Kirsten said with a false smile. "But are you sure we can't push the deadline till after Christmas?"

"No can do Kiki. This project is important for the company and I want it done ASAP." Caleb glanced at all the papers and models strewn around the office and frowned when he saw Ryan, whose nose was buried in his physics book.

"What is that juvenile delinquent doing in my building?" he asked angrily.

"Dad! You need to stop calling him that," Kirsten snapped. "Ryan is part of my family and while you might not be able to accept that fact, I expect you to treat him with respect."

Caleb snorted. "Over my dead body. Kiki, does a burnt model home not ring a bell to you?"

"That was an accident!" Kirsten shouted. The sound of a book snapping shut reminded Kirsten that Ryan was still in the room. Kirsten noticed that Ryan's head was bowed down and his face was flushing red. Kirsten knew that despite her reassurances Ryan still felt entirely responsible for the whole model home incident, and her heart ached at his guilt-ridden expression.

"Ryan, honey, can you go down to the cafeteria and grab me a salad and whatever you want? I think we'll be here for a while."

Ryan couldn't bring his eyes up to meet Kirsten's but he nodded silently and left.

"You better hope he's going to the cafeteria and not the accounting room," Caleb said.

"Dad! That's enough. I will not remain in the office any longer if you keep throwing insults at Ryan!"

Noticing the anger in Kirsten's eyes, Caleb decided that the pleasure of insulting that boy wasn't worth Kirsten's wrath.

"Fine, Kiki. So about this project. The Anderson people want to meet on Wednesday to see how everything is going so far."

"Through teleconference or in Seattle?" Kirsten asked suspiciously.

"Seattle." Caleb replied quickly, knowing that Kirsten was catching on and decided not to toy around.

"Dad! That's Christmas Eve! I can't fly up to Seattle. You know Chrismukkah is Seth's favorite holiday!"

"Bah humbug!" Caleb exclaimed. "That's not even a real holiday. And Hanukkah is eight days. I'm sure Seth can spare you for one day."

"No, Dad." Kirsten angrily replied as she started to pack up her stuff. "I have spent enough holidays away from my family because of work. Hell, I was even going to work tonight despite the fact that I have holiday decorations to put up! If you can't push the deadline till after the holidays, then you can be in charge of the project. I'm leaving."

"Kiki! This is the biggest project of the year for the Newport Group! Can you really live with yourself if this project falls through?"

Kirsten sighed. "What I can't live with will be the faces of my boys if I told them I won't be with them during the holidays. I've put my work ahead of my family too many times in the past, Dad. I won't make that mistake again." Gathering her bags and files, she opened her office door almost colliding into Ryan and the coffee cup he was carrying. Ryan looked at the files and bags in her hands and raised his eyebrow.

"Come on Ryan. We're going home."

Ryan nodded and gathered up his stuff on the sofa as well as some of Kirsten's remaining papers and models. Ryan couldn't help but sneak a glance at Caleb, whose face was glowing red with anger.

"Kiki-," Caleb started.

"Don't even," Kirsten interrupted angrily. "Happy Chrismukkah Dad," Kirsten said softly as she shut the door behind her leaving Caleb alone in her office.

"Bah humbug!" Caleb exclaimed angrily, giving one final disgusted look at the empty office before storming off. He hated the holidays.

TBC….


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Caleb angrily stormed back into his office, too angry at Kirsten's defiance to notice his secretary's attempt to capture his attention.

"Mr. Nichol!" his secretary exclaimed running up to him before he entered his office.

"What Amy?" Caleb growled, clearly not in a good mood.

Amy gulped. Caleb Nichol angry was not a pleasant sight and after hearing her news, he probably wasn't going to be any happier. "You have some guests waiting for you in your office at the present moment," she replied meekly.

"What? I don't remember having anything scheduled," Caleb shouted annoyed.

"I know but they're from Councilman Bernstein's office. They mentioned something about a development project and how it would be beneficial to both the city and Newport Group's image."

"There is nothing wrong with our image," Caleb snapped. "I'll handle them."

Caleb entered his office to encounter two men standing in the middle of his office looking nervous, obviously having overhead his less than pleasant conversation with Amy.

"Mr. Nichol?" one of them asked walking towards Caleb and pulling out his hand.

"Yes?" Caleb asked impatiently, not bothering to shake it.

"I'm Karl Livingston and this is John Whitten. We're in charge of the development for Councilman Bernstein's youth center."

"Youth center?" Caleb asked confused. "What does that have to do with the Newport Group?"

"Well we were hoping that you would want to donate Newport Group's resources and help build it," the man identified as John Whitten spoke up.

Caleb laughed. "And what's in it for me?"

"Well first off, you'll be helping out the community by giving today's youth a safe place to go and people to help guide them," Mr. Livingston started. Seeing Caleb's grim expression, he decided to try a different approach. "And we know the Newport Group hasn't been getting the best press but your involvement with this project will surely improve your company's image in the public eye."

Before Caleb could respond, Mr. Whitten interrupted," And we talked to your daughter. She loved the idea but said we had to run it through you first. Your grandson was there too and said he would love to help out as well. He even looked at the plans and made some helpful suggestions."

"My grandson?" Caleb couldn't imagine Seth taking any sort of interest in development projects or in The Newport Group in general. Despite Caleb's numerous attempts, Seth has never had any interest in the family business.

"Yes, I believe his name was Ryan. He certainly inherited the family genes," Mr. Whitten said helpfully, hoping that Caleb had a soft spot for his grandson. Caleb's angry glare at his response made Mr. Whitten's heart sink.

"That boy is certainly not my grandson! He is a juvenile delinquent that my daughter and her no-good- for nothing pot-smoking husband decided to take into a house that I own and paid for! So as you can see gentlemen, I have done my share of charity work. Now if you would please excuse me, I have business I need to attend to. Good day." Caleb said dismissively.

The two men sputtered their apologies and hastily left the office. Caleb couldn't help but overhear one of the men whisper to his partner, "God that man is even worse than Scrooge!"

It was way past dark when Caleb entered his mansion, only to be greeted by an empty house. All the other houses in the neighborhood were gaily decorated with Christmas lights and decorations making the Nichol mansion stick out like a sore thumb. Caleb couldn't help but recall past memories of a decorated house when his wife was still alive but he quickly shoved those memories away, not wanting to revisit the past. He grabbed the dinner that his maid had prepared for him and entered his study. It was less depressing to eat his dinner here than at the huge dining table. Pouring himself a glass of scotch and settling down at his desk, Caleb started eating but discovered he had no appetite; his argument with Kirsten still ringing in his ears. Sighing Caleb reached for his phone to call his daughter but after a moment's hesitation placed the phone back onto the table. A headache was starting to creep through and Caleb closed his eyes. He wasn't sure if he dozed off but after some time, he thought he heard rattling noises approaching the study. It sounded like chains clanking against each other.

"Who's there?!" Caleb shouted angrily. The rattling noises continued towards the study and then stopped abruptly. Caleb felt himself relaxing but then his heart stopped when he looked in the direction of his study door and saw himself staring at a familiar face.

"Jeffrey Chambers!" he shouted. There standing in front of his door was his old business partner in a tattered business suit. Caleb looked down and saw that his feet and hands were cuffed in chains and then he looked back into Jeffrey's soul-less eyes.

"This must be a dream," Caleb muttered to himself. "It's the scotch. I can't possibly be seeing this. Jeffrey Chambers is dead. He's been dead for nearly 10 years now!"

Caleb shut his eyes and opened them only to be greeted by Jeffrey staring at him quietly. "Caleb," Jeffrey started and Caleb's blood ran cold. The voice was eerie with so much sadness behind it.

"Jeffrey, what do you want from me?" Caleb asked frightened.

"I want you to see the error of your ways," Jeffrey replied calmly.

"Huh? What are you talking about? And why are your hands and feet chained?"

"These are the sins from my old life that I have to carry with me now," Jeffrey cried. "All the shady business dealings I did and the lives I screwed."

Caleb laughed. "Oh come on. That's what we all have to do to get by!"

Jeffrey wailed angrily and the sound made Caleb shiver. "Don't you dare joke about this!" Jeffrey shouted angrily. "It might be too late for me but I have come to warn you, Caleb."

"Warn me? About what?" Caleb asked warily.

"Tonight you will be visited by three spirits. They will each take you on a journey. Hopefully they will open your eyes to what a sad and pathetic life you are living now."

"I love my life," Caleb countered.

"You do?" Jeffrey asked skeptically. "Then why are you sitting alone in your study nursing a drink during the holidays?"

"This is how I like to spend my time," Caleb answered defensively.

Jeffrey laughed, a sound that Caleb decided he hated. There was a menacing quality to it. "We'll see about that. Remember Caleb, the first spirit will be visiting you at the stroke of midnight."

"What? Who is visiting me?" Caleb asked angrily but before he knew it, he was again sitting alone in his office.

"Jeffrey? Where the hell did he go?" Caleb looked down at his empty glass of scotch. "Damn alcohol messing with my brain."

Feeling thoroughly chilled and exhausted, Caleb decided to turn in for the night. He couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension, recalling Jeffrey's warning of a spirit visiting him at midnight. "What hogwash," he thought bitterly to himself. But when Caleb settled in for the night after swallowing some sleeping tablets, he couldn't help but nervously glance at his clock. 11:45 PM. Caleb shuddered inwardly but started to feel the effects of the sleeping pills. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep only to be interrupted by a huge gush of wind fifteen minutes later.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the nice comments everyone. I'm glad I have someone reading my story! This chapter was the hardest one I've ever written for any story and I'm still not completely happy with it but I don't think I can do much better after days of rewrites (and I'm old school so I like writing out long hand before typing it. Yeah, you would think I was born in the 50s instead of the 90s, LOL). So here it is. deep breath

Warning: Brief violence and language.

**Chapter 3**

Caleb pulled the covers tightly to his body as the gust of wind coming from nowhere seemed to encircle his bedroom. Caleb gave a quick glance at the windows but they were closed shut, just as he remembered. As his eyes darted back to the foot of his bed, he was startled to see a pale and faint figure standing right in front of his bed. The figure appeared feminine with its long and flowing white hair and delicate face features. However the broad shoulders and stance prevented Caleb from concluding that the person was a female.

"Who are you?" he choked out, surprised at the pitch of his voice. Caleb Nichol never sounded intimidated or scared, ever.

"I am the Ghost of the Past," the figure said or at least Caleb was sure it was spoken. However he didn't see the mouth move at all even though he was pretty sure he heard the words. The voice was calm and serene prompting Caleb to relax a bit and softened his hold on the covers.

"Come with me," the spirit instructed.

"Why should I?" Caleb asked defiantly, his apprehension returning. "I'm quite content where I am, thank you."

"I can make you come with me the easy way… or the hard way," the spirit sneered and with a wave of its hand, the covers sprang away leaving Caleb shivering in his bed clothes. Caleb gulped.

"All right. I know when I've been had." Grabbing his robe, Caleb stood up from his bed and reached for the spirit's outstretched hand. A gust of wind surrounded the pair and then almost immediately disappeared, leaving them standing outside a battered down one-story house.

"Oh my god," Caleb gasped as he recognized his surroundings. "What are we doing here? I swore to myself that I would never come back!"

"Come," the spirit instructed. Caleb wanted to resist but almost as if it had a mind of his own, his legs began following the spirit into the house. Before they even crossed the threshold, Caleb could hear raised voices coming from the kitchen.

"Don't you dare talk back to me ever again," a deep voice growled as the sound of flesh hitting flesh could be clearly heard. Caleb winced at the sound and his eyes grew wide as he recognized the voice. Caleb and the spirit moved to stand in the doorway leading into the kitchen and were confronted with the sight of a burly fifty-something man in faded overalls standing over a lanky teenager who was on the floor wiping the blood trickling from his nose.

"Do you have anything to say to me, son?" the burly man continued in a menacing voice.

The teenager glared at the man but remained silent. Picking up the beer on the kitchen counter, the man laughed. "Thought so. Where would you be if it wasn't for me? Your mom sure as hell isn't coming back so you better not make me angry. Who would want to take in a piece of crap like you?"

The teenager's eyes flashed and he immediately sprang to his feet to knock the beer out of the man's hand.

"What the fuck did you do that for?" the man sputtered angrily and raised his hand to strike again. However the teenager was able to anticipate his action and instead grabbed onto the man's arm and pushed him away.

Hitting the kitchen counter hard, the man's eyes glowed angrily. "Get the fuck out of my house!"

The teenager's eyes grew wide but he rushed hurriedly into another room and within seconds had a backpack thrown over his shoulder and rushed outside slamming the door before disappearing into the night. The man went to the fridge and got another beer, muttering to himself about how he should have insisted on an abortion when he had the chance. The man exited the kitchen and the sounds of a television blaring in the living room could be heard a few seconds afterward.

Caleb stood rooted to the spot unable to move and speak until the man left, leaving him and the spirit standing alone in the kitchen. Caleb turned back to the spirit, his eyes flashing. "Why did you bring me here? I've blocked these memories for a reason."

"To remind you of where you came from. You should have more sympathy for those who have gone through something similar."

Caleb didn't answer back; he knew who the spirit was alluding to. The spirit reached out to Caleb's arm and suddenly they were out of the house and at a lively Christmas party with lots of people mingling and excited children running about. Caleb recognized the place almost immediately as he saw his younger self sipping punch at one corner of the room, quietly observing the other guests and envious of their joy.

"Do you know where you are?" the spirit questioned.

"The Scranton youth center," Caleb said quietly. After the confrontation with his father, Caleb had nowhere to go. Luckily he stumbled upon the youth center and the man running the place offered him a place to stay while he figured things out. In exchange, Caleb helped around the shelter cleaning and fixing things here and there. Caleb saw Mr. Crenshaw approach his 17-year-old self and stepped in closer to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Are you enjoying the party Caleb?"

Young Caleb shrugged. "It's all right."

Mr. Crenshaw laughed. "Come on! It's Christmas! Get into the spirit of things. It only comes once a year."

Young Caleb gave him a wary look and Mr. Crenshaw laughed again. "I think I got something that would lift your spirits and put a smile on your face."

Young Caleb gave him a doubtful look. He watched as Mr. Crenshaw reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope, which he handed to Caleb who looked at it suspiciously before opening it.

"A train ticket to Los Angeles?" Caleb sputtered.

"You've been talking about getting out of this place, not that I blame you. A smart young man like you deserve better than this place can offer you."

"I can't take this," Caleb said. "It's too much." He tried to hand the ticket back to Mr. Crenshaw but the man wouldn't take it.

"Nonsense. You go to California and make something of yourself. I know you have the ambition and brains to be successful."

"I'll pay you back," Caleb declared.

Mr. Crenshaw chuckled and put his arm around Caleb. "You could pay me back by working hard and fulfilling your dreams. Once you do, don't forget to help out those that are not as fortunate."

Caleb nodded. "I promise," he stated solemnly.

"Good. Now go and enjoy the part. It's your last night in Scranton. Might as well make the most of it!" With another pat on the back, Mr. Crenshaw walked away shouting to the room that there was plenty of drinks and food for everyone. Caleb watched as his younger self carefully put the precious train ticket in his coat pocket and with a genuine smile on his face headed towards the Christmas tree to help hand out presents to the children in attendance.

"If there were more people like Michael Crenshaw, the world would be a better place," the spirit mused.

Caleb nodded bitterly. "I made him a promise and I didn't keep it."

"It's not too late," the spirit reminded him. "Let's go."

Caleb again found himself trapped in a gust of wind and then found himself in a dimly lit apartment that had a gaily decorated Christmas tree in the middle of the room. Caleb gasped as he recognized the ginger-haired figure sitting in front of the fireplace, gazing dreamily into the flames.

"Rose," he whispered affectionately. He walked over to her repeating her name and tried to touch her before realizing that she couldn't hear or feel him. Disappointed he stepped back but he noticed his younger self entering the room carrying two mugs.

"Here you go," he observed his younger self saying before settling down next to Rose on the floor.

"Thanks," Rose answered as she placed her mug next to her and leaned her head on Caleb's shoulder. She sighed happily. "I love the holidays."

"Holidays were never a great time for me," Caleb confessed, staring into the flames.

Rose took her head off his shoulder and turned his head so he was staring into her eyes. "That's all in the past now. From now on, you're going to have only happy memories during the holidays. Think about all the future Christmases we'll be spending together!"

Seeing an opening, Caleb reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box. "Speaking of the future," he started. Rose gasped as he opened the box to reveal a bright solitaire diamond. "Rose Johnson, you are the best thing to ever happen to me. I might not have much to offer you now but I promise you that one day, you will be in want of nothing. I love you. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Rose nodded as tears sprang to her eyes. "I got everything I need right here. Yes! I'll marry you." She cried as she embraced him.

Standing off at the corner with the spirit, Caleb didn't even notice the tears forming in his eyes until he felt them rolling down his cheeks. He couldn't take his eyes off of Rose's jubilant expression. It was surreal to see this playing out in front of him like a movie.

"Your wife had a generous heart," the spirit remarked. "You were so happy then. Too bad your greed got in the way of your happiness."

Caleb shot the spirit a glare. "What are you talking about? I did everything in my power to make Rose happy."

The spirit shook its head and grabbed Caleb again. Caleb opened his eyes after the gust of wind disappeared and found himself standing in his living room. He recognized a 13 year old Kirsten as she bawled into her mother's lap.

"Dad promised!" Kirsten wailed.

"I know honey," Rose said softly as she rubbed Kirsten's back. "But this meeting was really important to your Dad and you know he would have made it if he could."

"His job is more important than me," Kirsten cried.

"Sweetie, you know that's not true. Your dad loves you."

"Not as much as he loves his job!" Kirsten retorted bitterly. "When I have kids, I would never put work ahead of them. I will never be like Dad!" Kirsten pulled away from her mother's grasp and ran up the stairs to her room.

Caleb watched as Rose sighed and picked up the phone. After a few seconds and an irritated sigh, Rose spoke quietly, "Caleb. Where are you? It's late and Christmas Eve. Kristen is devastated that you missed her recital. She thinks your job is more important than her and I'm even starting to believe that myself. Come home." With another irritated sigh, Rose hung up. Going across the room, she poured herself a glass of wine, which she downed quickly before heading upstairs to check up on Kirsten.

The spirit remained silent as Caleb watched Rose's retreating figure. "I just wanted to provide for my family," Caleb remarked.

"You were never satisfied with what you have. You were just interested in making more and more money and didn't care how you made it," the spirit accused.

"I didn't want my family to be in need of anything."

"Yet all your family really wanted was time with you, to know that you cared and valued them above all else," the spirit pointed out. "Kirsten has been seeking your approval her whole life. Unfortunately in order to do that, she had to become you."

Again the spirit touched Caleb and he found himself in the Cohen kitchen now where he saw Seth and Sandy sitting at the dining table eating dinner. Seth stabbed his meat angrily and pouted.

"She promised that she'll put the decorations up by tonight."

"I know," Sandy said exhausted, revealing this wasn't the first time this conversation had taken place. "But your mom has a lot going on right now with work."

"Work, work, work," mocked Seth. "That's all her and Grandpa care about. They're a perfect match."

"Seth," Sandy warned, not liking his tone.

"Dad, it's Chrismukkah. Mom knows how important this holiday is to me."

"I'm sure your Mom is doing everything she can to come back and decorate the place," Sandy said reassuringly. "Your mom loves you more than anything, you know that right."

"She loves her job more."

"Seth, you know that's not true."

"Whatever," Seth muttered.

The sound of the front door slamming alerted the two that Kirsten was home before they saw her rushing into the kitchen looking apologetic.

"I'm so sorry honey," she said giving Seth a hug, which he shrugged off. "I really needed to finish some stuff so I can spend the next few days with my favorite boys! I'll start putting up the decorations right away."

Seth shrugged.

Kirsten frowned. A silent Seth was never a good sign. "Come on Seth. Hey tomorrow is the Newport Group's Christmas Gala. You know Summer is going to be there," Kirsten revealed, hoping to get Seth's interest. It didn't seem to work.

"Summer doesn't even know my name, much less my existence," Seth said bitterly. "Besides she's dating some dumb water polo player who has probably peed in my shoes this year."

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry. There will be other kids from Harbor there so it shouldn't be too bad."

"Hello Mom. Have you noticed? I don't have any friends in Newport unless you count Chester, but he's 10 so no he doesn't count. I hate it here! I don't belong. Everyone is all fake and all they care about is their appearance," Seth ranted, standing up and looking disgusted. "This year has been total crap and the one holiday that I've been looking forward to is turning out crappy as well. I'm going to bed. Maybe tomorrow we can start looking at boarding schools."

Kirsten looked miserably at Sandy as Seth pounded up the steps to his room. Sandy didn't say anything.

"Not you too," Kirsten moaned.

Sandy shrugged.

"Sandy, you know that we can't leave Newport."

"Honey, Seth hates it here. Hell I hate it here and I remember how you used to say you hated it here too."

"My dad needs me," Kirsten protested.

"Your family needs you."

"My Dad is family."

"And so are Seth and I. But if you keep choosing your Dad, we might lose Seth."

Kirsten looked crestfallen. Sandy took pity on her and gave her a hug.

"Honey, remember when you said you never wanted to become like your Dad?"

"I'm not like him," Kirsten replied defensively.

"If you say so," Sandy said. "I'm going to check on Seth."

After giving Kirsten a kiss on the cheek, he left her alone at the table. Kirsten reached for the bottle of wine and filled up her glass. Caleb's heart broke as he watched his daughter downed her glass, the image of Rose doing the same just a few moments ago resonating in his mind.

"What have I done?" Caleb mused. "Kirsten can't become me. I can't let Kirsten repeat my mistakes."

"It's not too late," the spirit interrupted. "But right now, we have to go. My time with you is up. Be prepared for the next spirit."

Another gush of wind and Caleb soon found himself back in his bedroom. He looked around but the spirit was gone. Mentally exhausted and with a lot to think about, Caleb headed back towards his bed. However the sound of soft music from outside his room pulled his attention away. Curious he walked towards the sound and stopped in front of one of the guest rooms. Opening the door, he was confronted with the sight of a big jolly old person sitting on a high chair and swinging in tune to the music.

"Who are you?" Caleb demanded.

"I am the Ghost of the Present. Are you prepared for where I'm going to take you?"

Caleb sighed. "Does my answer really matter?"

The spirit smiled. "No, it doesn't."

Taking the spirit's hand, Caleb took a deep breath and prepared himself for what he was going to see next.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks again for the nice comments everyone. I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter; I love all the Cohen kitchen scenes and bonding. I just finished Season 3 this weekend and was disappointed at how little interaction there was (one of the MANY things wrong with that season IMO). And before anyone asks, it IS possible to burn Cups of Noodles. I speak from experience. In my defense, I was 8. Don't know what Kirsten's excuse is, LOL. Anyway enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

Caleb found himself in the Cohen kitchen again but this time he watched as Kirsten and Ryan entered from the living room carrying empty boxes.

"That's the last of the decorations," Ryan said, setting the boxes off to the side.

"Thank god," Kirsten exclaimed. "It seems like every year Seth adds more stuff to be put up." Rummaging through the top drawer, Kirsten took out a couple menus. "What are you in the mood for?"

Ryan paused. "Ummm… how about I make something? We're always ordering out."

Kirsten raised her eyebrow. "Really? You want to cook?"

Ryan laughed. "I like to cook. It's relaxing." He smiled at Kirsten's skeptical look. "You should try it someday." Opening the fridge, Ryan pulled out some salmon that had already been defrosted. "Salmon sounds good?"

"Oh, I love salmon," Kirsten praised. For the next few minutes, Ryan took out the ingredients needed for the marinade as well as leftover salad and pasta.

"How can I help?" Kirsten asked as she watched Ryan preparing the food.

"You really want to learn?"

"Sure. Can you imagine the look on Seth's face when he finds out that I cooked?"

Ryan laughed. "All right. This is actually pretty easy so even you can't mess it up." He ignored Kirsten's glare. The two continue to banter gently as Ryan instructed Kirsten what to do and Caleb stood silently observing their interaction. He had never seen Ryan looking so relaxed and for that matter, it's been a while since he seen Kirsten relaxed as well. He silently acknowledged that he's only seen Kirsten at work lately and business-Kirsten was certainly different from at-home Kirsten. He resolved to spend more time with his daughter outside of the office.

While he was quietly musing in his thoughts, Ryan and Kirsten made quick work with the salmon, which was now baking in the oven. Kirsten went back to the dining table where a blueprint was spread out with what Caleb assumed was probably the Anderson Project.

"Something still doesn't look right," Kirsten mumbled her face scrunched up in frustration. "Of course all of our architects are on vacation right now. Everyone is on vacation, except me."

Ryan set the timer on the oven and headed back to Kirsten. After a minute of looking over the blueprint, he nodded. "You're right, something is off," Ryan agreed as he chewed at his lip, brows furrowed in intense concentration. Caleb couldn't help but notice the similar expressions plastered on their faces. No wonder Mr. Whitten thought Ryan was his grandson; Ryan looked more like Kirsten than Seth did. Caleb watched curiously as Ryan turned to the laptop sitting on the table and opened up a 3-D model of the layout. After fiddling with the program, punching in some data, and comparing it to the layout on the table, Ryan exclaimed loudly, "Aha!"

Kirsten looked up eagerly. "What? You figured it out?"

"Yeah. Look at that area right there," Ryan pointed to something on the blueprint. "The dimensions are all wrong. Someone probably just goofed up. But you seem to like this layout right? You could still keep it like this but then you have to move this over here and then this over here. " Ryan continued some more, pointing out various things on the laptop and on the blueprint. Caleb was shocked. The boy clearly knew what he was talking about and his ideas sounded legit.

Kirsten nodded throughout Ryan's explanation and was positively beaming when he finished. "We need to put you on the payroll," she concluded.

Ryan shrugged. "I'm sure someone else could have suggested it."

"Yeah but probably in the middle of construction," Kirsten pointed out. "And remember your suggestion of using solar panels for the new convention building? That was ingenious. Newport Group could use someone like you."

Caleb was amazed again. Installing the solar panels cut the budget of the entire project in half. It also got those environmental groups off of Newport Group's back. Those hawks have been after him ever since the Heights case.

Ryan shrugged again and returned his attention to his laptop. Kirsten watched as Ryan opened up a window and typed in calculations she couldn't possibly understand. The next thing she knew, she was seeing the model transformed to what Ryan just described.

"This is so cool. You need to teach me how to use this program," Kirsten exclaimed.

"No problem. It's really not that hard. Just play around with it a little bit and you'll get the hang."

"Well it's about time us old folks get in tune with technology right?" Kirsten joked.

Ryan smiled. "Is there anything else you have to work on?"

"No," Kirsten sighed happily. "I meant what I said to my dad. I'm taking a vacation." Kirsten couldn't help but notice how Ryan tensed up with the mention of her father.

"I'm sorry for my Dad's behavior, sweetie," Kirsten said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Ryan remained silent and glanced at the floor for a few moments. "It's okay," he said finally. "He's only trying to protect you."

"I don't need protection from you," Kirsten said surprised.

"Your dad's first impression of me was a juvenile delinquent who just burned down his prized model home. I can understand his suspicions." Ryan paused for a moment and taking a deep breath, added quietly, "sort of like how I understand your initial reluctance."

Kirsten gasped. "Oh Ryan, I am so sorry about that. As you can probably tell, it's not easy for me to open up to people. I don't have Sandy's ability to see the good in people right away. Growing up in Newport and living with my Dad, I guess I just put these walls up to avoid getting hurt. I was completely wrong about you, and I wish my dad understood that the model home thing wasn't your fault."

Ryan sighed. "Look Kirsten. Your dad has good reason to be suspicious of me. I would be too if I was in his shoes. He loves you and he just doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"Kind of ironic," Kirsten said bitterly. "Since over the years, my dad has probably hurt me the most out of anyone."

Ryan didn't say anything, sensing that Kirsten wanted to say more and was trying to formulate her thoughts.

"All I ever wanted was his approval. Some acknowledgement that what I was doing was good," Kirsten sighed. "I even started to become him, putting work ahead of my family. That scared the hell out of me. I'm starting to accept the fact that I'm probably never going to get it." Kirsten finished sadly. Caleb was shocked.

"Why would she think that?" Caleb wondered out loud.

"Have you given her any reason to not think otherwise?" the spirit asked, startling Caleb. Caleb had forgotten about the sprit since he'd been so quiet. Caleb was going to argue but closed his mouth as he remembered past conversations with Kirsten. Telling her that marrying Sandy was the worst decision she made in her life, how her over-protectiveness of Seth was messing up his life, how she should focus more on work. Caleb sighed. He had a lot of fixing up to do with his daughter.

Coming out of her train of thoughts, Kirsten looked up to see Ryan's glum expression.

"Oh Ryan. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to start going off about my messed up relationship with my Dad," Kirsten apologized.

Ryan shook his head. "It's all right Kirsten. I know what it's like to want approval from your parents," he finished quietly, staring back at the floor.

Kirsten went over and pulled Ryan into a hug. Surprised at first at the action, Ryan relaxed into her arms and turned his cheek to rest on her shoulder. Kirsten pulled away but tilted Ryan's chin so he was looking at her. "I don't want you to ever forget how proud Sandy and I are of you. You're smart, polite, hardworking, and possess this hero-complex that's giving Sandy and I more gray hairs than we would like. Any sane mother would be proud of you but I'm glad that you're my son."

Ryan's eyes widen at the word of son and a blush spread across his features. It wasn't the first time he had heard Kirsten mentioned him as such but it was always spoken to someone else and not at him directly. Kirsten resisted the urge to apologize for the comment even though she knew it made Ryan uncomfortable. He needed to know how she felt about him. As she saw the creeping smile emerging on Ryan's face, she was glad that she said it.

"Thanks," Ryan mumbled quietly. Kirsten smiled and pulled him in closer to ruffle his hair. Ryan didn't pull back so Kirsten gave in to instinct and pressed a kiss on his head. Ryan's blush redden and Kirsten laughed delightedly before pulling away to clean up their now finished work.

Caleb watched the intimate scene play out in front of him in fascination. Despite Kirsten's protests, he always thought Kirsten merely tolerated Ryan for Seth and Sandy's sake. He knew about Kirsten's reluctance to admit Ryan into the house and he had used that knowledge over Kirsten ever since. He figured that Kirsten finally gave in because of Seth who obviously needed a playmate. However it was obvious now that their relationship had deepened considerably and perhaps Seth wasn't the only one that needed Ryan.

The sound of laughter shook Caleb out of his reverie as he watched Sandy and Seth bounce into the kitchen.

"Hey! Something smells good," Seth said excitedly. "Where did you order from, Mom?"

Kirsten shared a smile with Ryan before turning to Seth. "No take out tonight. Ryan taught me how to cook."

Seth's jaw dropped and he raised an accusing finger at Ryan, "How could you?! You broke the pact!"

Ryan looked at Seth and shrugged. "I thought that was just for Thanksgiving. Come on man, give Kirsten a chance. What's the harm?"

"What's the harm?" Seth asked incredulously. "Dude Ryan, do you have any idea what horrors you've just unleashed by allowing Mom to cook? I'm too young to die! Dad, you'll back me up right?"

Sandy laughed and nodded, trying to ignore Kirsten's glare. "I'm sorry honey but you cooking is a scary thought. Remember how you burned Cup of Noodles back in Berkeley? I didn't even know that was possible."

"Humph," Kirsten grumbled. "That was a long time ago. I could have gotten better."

"You burned the turkey last year!" Seth pointed out, still shooting a glare at Ryan.

"Hey I was here to supervise. Dinner is going to be great," Ryan insisted.

"Well I'm glad someone in this family has confidence in me," Kirsten said, moving to stand next to Ryan. "And if you want your presents Seth, you better eat up."

"What?!" Seth asked aghast. "Ryan, buddy, come on. You can't do this to me. We're evenly matched right now but if you join Dad and me, we can totally take on The Kirsten."

"Cut it out Seth," Ryan said getting annoyed.

Seth turned to Sandy. "I told you it was a bad idea letting these two spend so much time together. Ryan was totally on our side before Mom brainwashed him. Now it's the gentiles versus the Jews and if history serves me well, it didn't end so well for the Jews."

"Seth!" Kirsten warned. "Your presents…"

"Fine," Seth sighed giving up. "No need to get your panties in a twist."

"Seth, don't say panties," Kirsten and Ryan said simultaneously.

"See!" Seth exclaimed to Sandy, pointing at the two. "Ryan has been completely neutered by the Kirsten. You're next Dad and knowing you, you'll succumb in no time. It's going to be poor lonely me fending for myself and trying to preserve our Jewish tradition against our gentile counterparts."

Sandy laughed at his son's antics and wrapped his arms around Kirsten. "Seth's right, I can't resist you honey. Dinner smells delicious."

"Thanks sweetie," Kirsten smiled as she leaned in to give Sandy a peck on the lips.

Seth's gagging noises prevented them from doing anything further. Ryan laughed and dragged Seth away to set the table while Seth continued to ramble on about how Ryan was going to face the wrath of Summer if anything happened to him.

Sandy turned back to Kirsten. "So what brought this cooking thing on?"

"Ryan was trying to get my mind off work." Sandy's eyebrow shot up. "Okay to be more precise, my dad," Kirsten admitted.

"What did he do this time?"

"Nothing new, just wanted me to put work in front of my family again. But Sandy, I told him that I am never going to put work ahead of my family. I've done it too many times in the past." She turned back to watch the playful banter between Ryan and Seth. "The boys are going to be off to college soon. I don't want to miss any of this." She laughed as Ryan threw a napkin at Seth who was undeterred by the action and kept rambling on.

"Your dad has no idea what he's missing out on," Sandy observed.

"Luckily, I do," Kirsten replied. "Come on, let's go rescue Ryan from Seth."

Caleb stood longingly watching the whole scene play out. They were all so comfortable and loose with each other. He didn't have that growing up and he had to admit, he wasn't around much when Kirsten and Hailey were younger to experience that with them either. He couldn't help but feel slightly envious at their easy banter and laughter. He noticed the spirit staring at him intently and realized that the spirit had been unusually quiet this entire time. "What was the point of bringing me here?" Caleb inquired.

"To show you what you're missing out on. You have a wonderful family Caleb, if only you would acknowledge it. Accept that Sandy makes your wife happier than anyone else could, that Seth doesn't need to be a football player or business protégée, and that Ryan's inclusion into the family has only made them stronger. If you could just do that, you could be a part of this," the spirit lectured.

"It's easier said than done," Caleb grumbled. "It's not every day you just accept juvenile delinquents into your family."

The spirit's eyes flashed angrily as he recognized the old Caleb resurfacing. "We need to go someplace else," he instructed and grabbed a hold of Caleb's arm not too gently.

Caleb found himself at the beach. "Why are we here?" he turned around to ask the spirit, only to find him walking towards the pier. Caleb walked quickly to catch up and almost crashed into the spirit when he abruptly stopped.

"Look," the spirit pointed. Caleb followed the direction of his finger and saw a group of young kids huddled under the pier, shivering.

"What are they doing over there?" Caleb asked curious. "It's freezing. They should head back home."

"They have no home Caleb. They're runaways and they have no place to go."

"Well they could get jobs. Make something of themselves. Like I did," Caleb tried to reasoned.

"Who would hire them when they have no permanent address? What they need is guidance, perhaps a little help. Even you got help," the spirit pointed out.

Caleb couldn't argue with that, even though he wanted to.

"I've seen enough," he said angrily to the spirit. "I know that I need to fix my problems with my family but what difference could I make to these kids just from building a youth center?"

"A simple act of kindness goes a long way Caleb."

Caleb looked doubtful. The spirit sighed. "It's my time to go now. You have one more visit left. Hopefully you can see the errors of your ways, Caleb. You have much to offer."

Before Caleb could reply, the spirit vanished. Caleb looked around at his surroundings and was surprised to still find himself at the beach. He thought he would be transported back to his bedroom like last time.

"Where am I supposed to go?" he wondered out loud.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and Caleb felt his blood run cold. He turned around and found himself staring at a clothed figure with a black hoodie. Caleb couldn't see its face and felt maybe he would be better not to.

"Are you the Ghost of the Future?" he asked cautiously. Caleb felt a bad vibe coming from this spirit. He watched the clothed figure nod and then felt his hand being grabbed again. Caleb whispered a slight prayer, hoping that the future wasn't as grim as he felt it was going to be.


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks again to everyone who read and commented on my story! I was super nervous when I first started posting since it's my first OC story, and I wasn't sure if I could realistically capture the characters. The comments mean a lot and provide a motivation to write since I don't want to leave you all hanging! Sorry for the long wait, homework and midterms are kicking my butt right now and I'm too interested in the election to pay attention. Anyway here is chapter 5. I'm so glad I just finished watching Season 3 because it inspired me while writing this chapter! I hope you enjoy. Oh and if you're eligible, please go out and vote tomorrow!

**Chapter 5**

Caleb looked around confused. He was standing in the gardens of what looked like a spa getaway. It certainly didn't fit with his feeling of gloom a few moments earlier. Perhaps the future wasn't as bad as he predicted. Hearing voices, Caleb looked ahead and saw a group of people sitting on the terrace. He headed in that direction, knowing there had to be a reason he was here. Caleb was surprised to see Kirsten standing in the center, twisting her wedding rings nervously.

"Hi everyone. I'm Kirsten Cohen," Kirsten weakly said.

"Hi Kirsten," the group answered back encouragingly. Realization dawned on Caleb. "No, she couldn't be," he muttered to himself.

Kirsten took a deep breath and spoke again. "I'm Kirsten and I am an alcoholic." Kirsten laughed nervously, "It does get easier over time to say that. Umm… my time here has allowed me to understand why I turned to alcohol in the first place."

A man in a white coat nodded. "That's great Kirsten. Would you like to share more with us?"

Kirsten smiled. "Yes, I would. Umm… I guess it all begins and ends with my Dad." Caleb felt like he'd just been stabbed. Kirsten was here because of him. What the hell did he do?

"All my life, I wanted him to be proud of me. However every decision I made seemed to be the wrong one. I was living my life the way he wanted it, not the way I wanted it. After my mom died, I worked even harder to please him. But nothing -,"Kirsten sniffed back a sob.

"But nothing you did, no matter how hard you tried, pleased him," a blonde woman sitting next to Kirsten finished. Kirsten looked at her surprised. "I'm sorry," the lady apologized hastily.

"No, it's okay," Kirsten said. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

Caleb didn't hear the doctor commend Kirsten on her progress and break up the session as he was too engrossed in examining his daughter. She looked thinner than usual and there was something about her that seemed off. The life appeared to be sucked out of her and her eyes didn't hold that familiar sparkle. He watched as the mysterious blonde woman came up to Kirsten as the crowd cleared out.

"Hey Kirsten. I didn't have the chance to introduce myself. I'm Charlotte Morgan," the woman said, reaching out a hand. Caleb immediately felt an instant dislike towards her. There was something sinister in her eyes and he didn't like the way she was staring at his daughter.

"Hi Charlotte. Pleased to meet you," Kirsten said, trying to form a smile.

"I want to apologize again for interrupting you."

"No, it's okay."

"It's just that I could relate to what you were saying. The rich dominating father and the not being able to live up to his expectations."

"I'm glad I didn't bore you."

"Definitely not. I wish I was as good with overcoming this as you. I overheard Dr. Curtis telling you that you were making real progress and could go home if you want."

Kirsten smiled. "Yeah, I'm really nervous about it. I'm not sure if I can handle it but I miss my husband and sons so much."

Charlotte looked concerned and took Kirsten's hand. "If you don't think you can handle it, are you sure you want to go home? You don't want to relapse."

Kirsten's head shot up at the last word. The look in her eyes demonstrated that relapsing was her greatest fear.

Charlotte continued. "Look, I know what you're going through. This is my third time here. You should really ask yourself if you're ready. You don't want to let your family down."

Kirsten looked stricken and Caleb felt the urge to crush her into his arms and tell her that she was the strongest person he knew and that she would be able to fight this. He also wanted to give Charlotte a piece of his mind and tell her to stay the hell away from Kirsten. He saw right through her manipulation and concluded that she was probably after Kirsten's money and taking advantage of her vulnerable state. After being chased by gold diggers all his life, Caleb could spot them a mile away.

"Where the hell is Sandy when you need him?" Caleb wondered out loud. He heard a noise behind him and was surprised to see the hooded spirit behind him. Caleb had forgotten about him for a moment. The spirit raised his bony arm, which clamped down on Caleb's shoulder.

The next place Caleb found himself was the Newport Group office. It looked like he came in the middle of a meeting between Sandy and two men who Caleb recognized immediately. Mr. Durbin and Mr. McConnell were two men who the Newport Group frequently did business with. Caleb wondered what the hell Sandy was doing in his meeting room and why he wasn't there to kick his son-in-law out.

"Mr. Cohen, we were expecting to meet with your wife," Mr. Durbin said, settling into his seat.

Sandy sighed. "My wife is away for a couple of weeks. Under the circumstances, I think you can understand why."

"Running away only makes her look more guilty, Mr. Cohen," Mr. McConnell interrupted impatiently.

"I can tell you right now that my wife is completely innocent," Sandy snapped. "The DA is looking at the wrong person and the truth is going to come out. In the mean time, I want to insure you that the company is doing fine so don't even think about backing out of the Laguna project."

Caleb recognized the wary looks passing between his two business colleagues. "What the hell is going on?" he asked the spirit. It was odd how quiet this one was when the previous two at least told Caleb why they took him to places. The spirit remained silent. "Why is the DA after Kirsten? And where the hell am I? Unless I'm in jail… but then why would they be going after Kirsten as well?" Caleb wondered out loud. This was making no sense and he was getting increasingly frustrated.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't hear the last part of Sandy's conversation with the two men before they left. However Sandy appeared to have at least settled their concerns. Caleb watched as Sandy took out his cell phone to dial a number.

"Hey it's me," Sandy said gravely. "Did you find anything?" Whatever response Sandy received, his expression conveyed it wasn't what he wanted.

"Damn it. Well dig around some more. He must have left a trail somewhere. I will not let Stevens get away with this. There is no way my wife is taking the fall for his crimes." Caleb took in a deep breath. Tom Stevens was his chief accountant. Not the most honest man, Caleb admitted, but he knew not to ask questions concerning Caleb's more than questionable business dealings.

"I don't care," Sandy continued with whoever was on the phone. "Do whatever you must. Hell incriminate me. I'll rather go to prison than let Kirsten go." Sandy hung up the phone angrily and sank into one of the chairs wearily. "Damn you Caleb," Sandy muttered. "They can't come after you so they're going after Kirsten. This is all your fault."

Caleb again felt like he was being stabbed. He had no idea what was going on but now he had both Sandy and Kirsten blaming him for whatever the hell was going on. He knew he would never let Kirsten take the fall for whatever he did; he would do anything in his power to protect her. If only he could figure out what was going on and where he was!

Caleb turned his attention back to Sandy who had picked up his cell again. After a couple seconds, Sandy sighed as he was transferred to voicemail. "Seth, this is your father. Call me immediately when you get this message."

"Oh god, Seth," Caleb muttered. "How is he handling all this?" Caleb turned to the silent spirit. "Will you bring me to him?" After a moment's hesitation, the spirit nodded.

At first Caleb wasn't sure where he was since a cloud of smoke was blurring his line of vision. As the smoke cleared, he gasped as he saw Seth sitting on his bed smoking a joint.

"What the hell?" Caleb exclaimed angrily. Caleb was just as startled as Seth as the bedroom door opened with a frazzled Ryan crashing through.

"Seth!" Ryan admonished taking the joint of his hand. "Are you crazy?"

"Hey! Give it back Ryan," Seth pouted.

"What if Sandy had caught you? As if he doesn't have enough to worry about with Kirsten and the company."

"Dad's not home. He's going to be at the Newport Group all day meeting with people to tell them that the company isn't going down the craphole and that Mom isn't guilty of funneling money."

"I can't believe the DA is going after Kirsten; she would never steal money," Ryan grumbled, sinking onto the floor.

"Dad said that the DA is only going after Mom since they can't go after Grandpa," Seth said angrily. "The DA has hated Grandpa for years and Grandpa certainly hasn't done anything to make him appear innocent."

"And now Kirsten gets all the blame," Ryan muttered. "Surprisingly I don't think it's your Grandpa's fault, though. You know Sandy suspects your Grandpa's accountant of stealing the money. Not that I blame Sandy, I never trusted that guy."

"Well we can't do anything about it."

"Actually," Ryan said, standing up. Seth looked at Ryan suspiciously.

"Whatever it is you're thinking Ryan. Don't do it man. You just said Dad is handling enough crap."

"I'm going to help Sandy," Ryan interjected. "Stevens must have some incriminating papers lying around in his house. The DA doesn't suspect him so he's probably not hiding his stuff."

"Ryan, I don't think it's a good idea."

"I will not let Kirsten go to jail," Ryan said stubbornly. "Your family has done so much for me. It's about time I do something for you guys. I need your help though."

Seth sighed. "What?"

"Go to the Newport Group and just hang around there keeping an eye on Stevens. If he leaves, give me a call. I don't want any surprises. Are you in?"

Seth paused for a minute and then rose from his bed. "Fine, I'm in."

Caleb was impressed with both Ryan and Seth, but particularly with Ryan. It was obvious that he cared a great deal for Kirsten and Sandy and would do anything to help them. Both he and Sandy were breaking the law to save Kirsten and where was he in all of this? Everyone has been blaming him for what was happening and Caleb was going out of his mind trying to figure out what he had done and where he was. While Caleb was many things, he wasn't a coward. He wouldn't just run off and let his family clean up his mess.

"Spirit?" Caleb asked turning anxiously back to the hooded figure. "Where am I in this future world? Take me there, please!"

Caleb found himself in the cemetery and a feeling of dread washed over him.

"I told you to tell me where my future self was," Caleb said to the spirit. The spirit nodded and pointed up the hill. Caleb gulped as realization dawned on him as to why the DA couldn't go after him, why Kirsten was so distraught. Still as Caleb climbed up the hill, a small part of him held on to a sliver of hope that the name written on the gravestone he was approaching would not bear his name. His heart sunk as the words on the gravestone became clearer to him revealing "Caleb Nichol, 1940-2006". Caleb collapsed onto his knees as the weight of all he had witnessed overcame him. Glancing over at the graves next to him, he realized how bare his was. It was completely devoid of flowers and decoration. Even his gravestone was glaringly bare, no words about being a loving father, grandfather, or even an upstanding member of the community. Caleb sighed sadly. Was he expecting anything more? He wasn't any of those things and now his family was suffering because of him. Turning back to the spirit with tears in his guys, Caleb grabbed the cold hands.

"Tell me that my family is going to be okay. Tell me that none of them are going to jail for my mistakes," Caleb pleaded as he closed his eyes to wash his tears.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the Cohen's living room. He turned quickly to the spirit. "Does this mean everything turned out okay? That's why you brought me back here right?"

Caleb was interrupted as he heard the front door slam shut and watched Seth wandered in looking dazed. Ryan ran in from the kitchen shouting.

"Where the hell have you been Seth? I've been looking all night for you! Why didn't you call me to warn about Stevens?" Ryan asked angrily.

Seth remained silent and looked like he was ready to cry.

"I almost got caught!" Ryan continued ranting. "Luckily I was able to run away but now Stevens definitely knows someone is on to him. Man, I hope he doesn't recognize the car." Finally noticing Seth's silence, Ryan became worried. "Seth, what's wrong?"

"You didn't hear about what happened at the Newport Group?" Seth asked quietly.

"No," Ryan said surprised. "I was too busy running away from Stevens and trying to find you. What's up?"

"There was a fire," Seth continued, not looking at Ryan.

"What? How did that happen? Did anyone get hurt?" Ryan asked worriedly. Seth remained silent and Ryan's eyes grew wide. "Seth, what are you not telling me?"

"I set it on fire," Seth blurted out.

"What?!!!!"

"It was an accident! I was doing what you told me and hanging around the Newport Group. However I got tired and fell asleep in Mom's office. When I woke up, everyone was gone and I decided to smoke a joint. I thought I put it out, Ryan, but as I was driving away I heard fire sirens. I'm in deep trouble, aren't I?" Seth groaned as he collapsed onto the couch. Caleb couldn't believe his ears. How did everything get so messed up?

Ryan sank to the couch alongside Seth. "This isn't good," he moaned. Seth nodded. The sound of a car driving up the driveway caused the two boys to exchange horrified glances before heading to the front door. The relief on their faces was evident when they saw Sandy's familiar BMW but confusion washed over when they saw Kirsten sitting forlornly in the passenger seat.

"Dad?" Seth asked worriedly as Sandy exited the car. "Is Mom okay? Is she back for good?"

"I'm not sure, son," Sandy replied wearily. "Today was the will reading, which didn't go so great and then she found out about the fire at the Newport Group. She's not sure if she's strong enough to come back," Sandy finished, glancing over at Kirsten, who remained in the car staring blankly at the house. "I don't know how much she can take."

"Does she know about the DA's investigation?" Ryan whispered, looking at Kirsten concerned. He had never seen Kirsten looking so lost.

Sandy shook his head. "She shouldn't have to worry about that. I'm taking care of it."

"Mom's going to be proven innocent right?" Seth asked anxiously. "She's not going to jail right, Dad?"

"Not if I have anything to do with it," Sandy confirmed. Running his hand through his hair, he sighed. "And now I have to deal with the whole fire thing as well."

Sandy missed the guilty looks between Ryan and Seth.

"Do they know what happened?" Seth squeaked.

"Not yet but the police are reviewing the security tapes to see who was the last person to leave the building," Sandy replied. Seth's eyes grew wide.

Before anyone could say anything, the sound of sirens could be heard. Three panicked expressions mimicked each other and Caleb felt like he was going to be sick. He was dead and the repercussions of his actions were biting his family in the ass. Any of them could be arrested and somehow it seemed like it could have all been prevented. As the sirens sounds got closer, Caleb turned anxiously to the hooded spirit.

"Spirit, what you're showing me is not what's going to happen but what COULD happen right?"

The spirit remained silent but Caleb got more frantic.

"If I change my ways, then the future is not set right? I promise to be a better dad, grandfather, and person. Just please, let me go back and fix it! I can't let my family suffer like this." Caleb sobbed as he watched the police cars drive up the driveway.

Caleb sank to his knees and grabbed onto the spirit. "Please, let me go back. I don't want to see what happens next. Let me go back! Please!"

TBC...


	6. Chapter 6

All right everyone, here is Chapter 6. Not sure if this is the last chapter or if there will be an epilogue. Let me know what you guys want. But if it is the last chapter, I want to thank everyone for reading my story, especially those who left comments. I really, really, really appreciate it since it motivated me to write and finish the story. This is only my second story on . The first one I started four years ago and it still isn't finished, LOL. Anyway thanks again! -Jen

**Chapter 6**

"I want to go back! Please, I promise to be a better person!" Caleb cried. He paused, not hearing the sound of sirens anymore. Rays of light were streaming in and Caleb reached up to rub his eyes. He cautiously opened his eyes again only to see streaks of sunlight peeking into the darkened room. He sprang up clutching his body and examining the room, not believing the sight before him.

"I'm alive!" Caleb exclaimed as he jumped out of bed rushing towards the windows to open the curtains. He gasped as he was greeted by a bright and sunny day, such a stark contrast to where he had just been. Only in southern California would it be perfect beach weather in December. Caleb couldn't help but break out into a grin. He loved California. It provided him with opportunities he never thought possible. It was here where he met the love of his life and produced two wonderful daughters. One daughter was still here and Caleb was anxious to make amends with her and her family. Bouncing down the stairs and humming some carols, Caleb made his way to the backyard only to draw in a deep breath at the sight he was presented with. The glistening blue-green ocean that seemed to stretch forever was an appropriate backdrop for the winding roads and multi-million dollar mansions that stood out in front. Caleb couldn't help but revel in the fact that he owned most of it as well. Yes, his life was good and it was about time he started to appreciate it and give back a little.

A noise behind him took him out of reverie as he noticed one of the gardeners trying to remain inconspicuous. The man was elderly, about sixty some years old, and the wrinkles and hard lines on his face indicated a long life of manual labor.

"Hi," Caleb said, causing the man to jump in fright. Obviously the man was intimidated by his presence. Caleb attempted to soften his tone. "It's the holidays. What are you doing here?"

The gardener looked confused. "You said no vacations," he responded quietly.

"Nonsense," Caleb scoffed. "It's Chrismukkah." He laughed at the gardener's bewildered expression. "Umm… I mean it's the holidays. Go spend it with your family."

"But-"

" No buts," Caleb interrupted. "If I don't see you gone in the next 5 minutes, I'll reconsider the raise I'm planning on giving you."

The gardener's mouth dropped open. After a second he recovered himself, thanked Caleb profusely and left but not before throwing suspicious glances behind his back to ensure himself that it was really Caleb Nichol who just gave him the day off.

Caleb chuckled to himself. The gardener probably thought he had gone completely batty. Going into the kitchen, Caleb glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that only a day had passed. His adventures only lasted one night; it had seemed so much longer. It was 2 days before Christmas and the second day of the holiday his grandson dubbed Chrismukkah. Caleb hurriedly got dressed as he realized he had a lot to do today.

*****

After contacting the councilman's office, Caleb found Mr. Whitten and Mr. Livingston at a restaurant near the pier. Memories of the runaway kids shivering beneath the pier lingered in Caleb's mind as he made his way towards the two gentlemen.

"Mr. Nichol?" Mr. Whitten asked surprised, not believing his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you two. I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday; I was clearly in a bad mood," Caleb began, inwardly chuckling at the men's shocked faces. "However after thinking about it, I think this youth center is a great idea and the Newport Group will be glad to help. How soon will you need our assistance?"

The two men glanced at each other with wide eyes. Was this smiling almost jubilant man the same person that practically kicked them out of his office yesterday?

"As soon as you want," Mr. Whitten said finally, getting over his shock.

"After the holidays then," Caleb said smiling. "I would like to spend some time with my family. Oh and I'm sure they would probably like to help out with this center. My son-in-law Sandy is a public defender so he has a lot of experience dealing with troubled youth. And you already said my grandson Ryan was interested in helping out with the construction."

Caleb smiled as he walked away leaving the two men sputtering in confusion and one was repeatedly pinching his arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

*******

"Dude man, look at what you've done," Seth moaned as he and Ryan watched Kirsten rush around to the stove, checking on the pancakes and bacon.

"What?" Ryan asked. "You liked the salmon last night."

"Yeah, but that could have been a fluke. This is the Kirsten we're talking about. Tall, blonde, strong Anglican features, cute button nose Kirsten. Despite being quite formidable in the meeting room, definitely not in the kitchen."

"Oh, I think your mom is pretty formidable in other areas as well," Sandy interrupted, entering the kitchen and wrapping his arms around his wife, nuzzling her neck. Kirsten giggled.

"Ugh, you guys," Seth said disgustedly. "Can you get a room please? Or else I'm going to barf in Mom's pancakes." A grin spread over Seth's face. "Hey! That's a thought. Then we don't have to eat it!"

"Ow!" Seth exclaimed as Sandy wacked him on the head and Ryan punched his arm.

"Stop making fun of your mom's cooking," Sandy scolded.

"E tu Dad?" Seth muttered, rubbing his arm and head. "How did mom get you onto her side?"

Sandy grinned wickedly. "Well son…"

A horrified expression crossed Seth's face. "Actually never mind! I rather not know!"

Kirsten laughed and pulled Seth to her, ruffling his hair.

"Mom! Don't mess with the Jew-fro, seriously."

"Umm, Kirsten," Ryan interrupted. "I think the bacon is burning."

"Oh," Kirsten exclaimed as smoke started to fill the room.

"Ah, that's more like it," Seth said happily, sinking into the kitchen stool. "I was afraid that the real Kirsten had been kidnapped."

Ryan threw away the burnt bacon and took the pan away from Kirsten. "Here let me do it."

Kirsten smiled gratefully. "Thanks Ryan. I think you boosted my self-esteem so much last night that I thought I could do this. Perhaps more lessons are in order?"

"Sure," Ryan agreed with a smile.

The sound of a slamming door alerted the family that someone was here. Their faces fell as they watched Caleb strut into the kitchen.

"Caleb," Sandy said dryly. "I would say nice to see you but my ma taught me not to lie."

"Funny considering you're a lawyer," Caleb automatically responded but instantly regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. "Sorry Sandford, I didn't mean that."

Sandy looked at Caleb strangely. Caleb never apologized for anything especially to Sandy. Truth be told, Sandy actually enjoyed the antagonism between himself and Caleb; his best material originated from it.

"Dad?" Kirsten piped up. "What are you doing here? If it's about work, I told you I won't do it until after the holidays."

"Don't worry Kiki," Caleb said, pulling a startled Kirsten into a hug. "The project has been pushed back till after New Years so I can enjoy Chrismukkah with my family."

"You want to celebrate Chrismukkah?" Seth exclaimed excitedly. He rushed outside and stood out there for a moment before coming back frowning.

"What was that?" Caleb asked confused.

"Just checking if hell froze over," Seth replied cheekily.

"Seth!" Kirsten scolded glaring at her son. However she was tempted to go outside and see if pigs were flying when she saw Caleb burst into a fit of laughter and pulled Seth into a hug.

"I don't know why I never appreciated your sense of humor before," Caleb chuckled as he pulled away from a shocked Seth. "You don't need to be a football player or a real estate mogul. You can make millions as a comedian."

Seth's eyes grew wide. As far back as he could remember his grandfather never complimented him on anything, especially his sense of humor. Caleb always looked at Seth as if he was from another planet and Seth had overheard Caleb numerous times muttering to himself how Kirsten could have produced such a child.

"Thanks Grandpa," Seth answered gratefully, shooting bewildered glances with Sandy.

"Are you sure you're feeling all right?" Sandy interrupted. "Starting any new medication?"

"Sandford," Caleb chuckled, grabbing his son-in-law's hand to a firm handshake. "I see where Seth got his sense of humor since we all know Kiki isn't funny." Sandy couldn't help but smirk while ignoring Kirsten's glare.

"Really Caleb, are you sure you're okay?"

"Never been better!" Caleb exclaimed. "Have I ever thanked you for being the best thing that ever happened to my daughter?"

Sandy wasn't usually at a loss for words but he could only look at Caleb with his mouth hanging open.

Caleb chuckled again. "Guess I haven't. I know I've been giving you a hard time all these years Sandford but it's clear that you make my daughter happy and will do anything for her. You're a wonderful dad, much better than I ever was."

Caleb heard a sniffle and turned around to see Kirsten tearing up.

"Kiki-," Caleb started affectionately as he approached his daughter.

"Whatever medication you're on Dad, please keep taking it," Kirsten joked.

Caleb smiled. "I can't believe how stupid I've been, Kiki. You're a lot smarter than I ever gave you credit for. The company would be in shambles if it wasn't for you. I know I don't say it, but I'm damn proud of you Kiki."

"Oh Dad!" Kirsten sobbed as she pulled him into her arms. "All I ever wanted was your approval."

Caleb sighed. "You always had it, Kiki. You never asked for anything from me so I didn't think you wanted my approval. Hell, I know you can get by without me. That's what I'm scared of."

Kirsten smiled. "I'll always need you Dad."

"And I need my family," Caleb finished.

Caleb heard the sliding door opening and lifted his head to see Ryan trying to sneak out of the kitchen while Seth and Sandy were busy watching the scene between Kirsten and Caleb.

"Ryan! Where are you going?" Caleb asked, causing the boy to jump.

"Ummm… just giving you alone time with your family," Ryan answered quietly, not meeting Caleb's eyes.

"You are Kirsten's son, thus making you my grandson. You are family," Caleb answered solemnly. Ryan's head snapped up as he gave Caleb an incredulous look.

"Don't look so surprised, boy!" Caleb exclaimed as he approached Ryan and laid a hand on his shoulder. He felt Ryan stiffened and Caleb immediately took his hand away. "I know I haven't always treated you well Ryan."

Seth snickered and Caleb threw his dark-haired grandson a look before turning back to Ryan whose eyes were back to staring at the ground.

"I thought you were here to take advantage of my family. However I see now that your addition has only made my family stronger. I've never seen Kirsten, Sandy, and Seth happier. Anyone with a brain can see the impact you made on this family." Caleb said seriously before breaking out into a grin. "If it wasn't for you, Seth wouldn't have had two girls fighting over him last Thanksgiving."

"Grandpa!" Seth whined. "Do you have to bring that up again?!"

Caleb ignored Seth as he watched Ryan take in his words and raise his head warily. "What do you want from me?" Ryan asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Caleb started but then he remembered his comment to Mr. Whitten. "Actually wait. Two men from the councilman's office came to me wanting the Newport Group to help build a youth center. I agreed to take on the project and I also offered your help as well. I hope you don't mind. I know you want to be an architect and well it's nice to have a grandson interested in the family business!"

"Dad! That's wonderful that you agreed to help with the project," Kirsten interrupted approaching the two. "I thought it was a great idea but wasn't sure if you would approve."

"I think the youth center will be a wonderful place for the community," Caleb replied. "What about it Ryan? Will you help me out?"

Ryan still looked wary. "If you're sure."

"Oh Ryan, you'll be great," Kirsten said, going over to put her arm around Ryan. Caleb noticed that Ryan didn't flinch at her touch. "Dad, Ryan has been helping me with the Anderson project and you wouldn't believe what he's come up with. The youth center will be lucky to have his help."

Caleb couldn't help but smile at the blush spreading over Ryan's face as he snuck a look at Kirsten.

"Do you want to do it Ryan?" Kirsten asked.

Ryan smiled at Kirsten and then directed his gaze back to Caleb before shrugging. "Sure, I'll do it."

Caleb nodded. He knew that Ryan was agreeing to this partially because he couldn't say no to Kirsten. Caleb wasn't bothered by this fact; he realized that his relationship with Ryan wasn't going to change overnight but he hoped that his earlier attitude towards the boy hasn't tarnished the possibility of a better relationship in the future.

"Is anyone hungry?" Sandy interrupted. "The bacon is starting to get cold."

"Oh yeah, the bacon," Kirsten said excitedly. "Dad, do you want to stay for breakfast?"

"Did you cook it?" Caleb asked cheekily as Kirsten playfully smacked him.

"Yes! " Seth pumped his fist into the air. "Finally someone is on my side in this matter. Come on Grandpa, you can come sit next to me."

Caleb laughed as he settled into the seat offered by Seth as the rest of the family took their seats as well. Various platters were being passed around as Seth and Sandy continue to joke about Kirsten's cooking with Kirsten pouting playfully and Ryan looking on amusedly. Caleb grinned to himself. Chrismukkah was starting to become his favorite holiday.

The End??


	7. Epilogue

It took a little longer than expected but here is the epilogue! I wanted to wrap up a few things and also demonstrate that Caleb's changed behavior wasn't a temporary thing. Hope you enjoy it although it's a bit cheesy. So this really is the end and I want to again thank EVERYONE who has read my story and a special thanks to those who commented. This is my first finished story!! Yay! Perhaps after I finish my first story that I started four years ago and finish with schoolwork, I'll take another stab at an OC fic. Thanks again. -Jen

**Epilogue**

Caleb took a step back to observe the people mingling and laughing around the massive Christmas tree that was placed in the middle of the large room. He chuckled to himself seeing the Star of David shining brightly at the top of the tree. Seth had insisted that this was the year Chrismukkah was introduced to Newport society and Caleb acquiesced after developing a soft spot for the holiday last year. The attendees of the party, especially the children, hardly noticed the star anyway for they were far too focused on the presents underneath the tree. Caleb scanned the room only to feel a surge of pride when his gaze fell upon the plaque hanging above the entrance acknowledging thanks to the Newport Group for its contribution to the youth center. His company has been involved with many big projects over the years including the convention center and mall but they all pale in comparison to this project. Becoming involved with the youth center was the best thing the Newport Group had ever done, Caleb acknowledged to himself.

What a difference a year makes, Caleb thought. He shuddered inwardly as he recalled his attitude towards the holidays the previous year and the future he was presented with if he didn't change his ways. It wasn't easy for Caleb, he had to admit. Even now, he would subconsciously blurt out a comment to Sandy about whether he picked up smoking trees again when his son-in-law went into a rant about conservatives. However Caleb had to admit that his relationship with Sandy had improved significantly and he secretly enjoyed the snide comments that Sandy would direct at him. It illustrated Sandy's quick wit, and made Caleb realize that Kirsten would have never fallen in love with a fool. Caleb also had to admit to a grudging respect for Sandy's dedication and passion towards his job. While the two would still argue over political matters and sports (because who in their right mind could root for the Yankees?), Caleb had accepted the fact that Sandy was the best thing to ever happen to Kirsten. Caleb didn't even want to imagine what Kirsten life would have been like if she had married Jimmy like Caleb wants her to.

Caleb turned his gaze to the side of the room where a stage was erected. He could see Kirsten off to the side talking to the sound technician going over last minute details. Whether it was at the Montage Hotel, Yacht Club, or a youth center, Caleb could depend on Kirsten to be on top of the party plans. She had enthusiastically volunteered to plan Newport Beach Youth Center's first Chrismukkah Party, wanting her party planning skills to go towards a good cause. Caleb smiled as he watched Kirsten wave off a waiter who approached her with champagne. Caleb had pulled her aside a couple months ago when he saw her downing wine glasses after a stressful day. Kirsten at first didn't respond so well when Caleb pointed out that she was dealing with stress in the same unhealthy way her mother did. However Kirsten approached him the next day, thanking him for his words and the two spent a lovely day together reminiscing about old times and making plans for Hailey's arrival. Caleb regretted all the time he spent away from his daughters when they were younger but was resolved to spend as much time as possible with them now.

The sound of kids' laughter made Caleb turn around to see Seth blindfolding a kid for a game of "pin the yamika on the reindeer." Caleb had to laugh at Seth's creativity and Caleb again regretted all the years he wasted not spending time with his grandson. Caleb used to wonder what was wrong with the kid since he had no friends except for a plastic horse. Caleb never realized how difficult it would be for a kid like Seth to fit into Newport society. Now Caleb realized that it was Newport's loss as he came to appreciate Seth's unique sense of humor. Although Seth and Caleb had very little in common, Caleb discovered that Seth was a damn good sailor. Caleb was glad some Nichol genes have been passed on and he and Seth spent many pleasant weekends taking Caleb's boat out into the ocean.

Caleb laughed heartily as he watched Seth sneak behind Ryan to put a yamika on his head. Ryan frowned when he felt something on his head and turned around to smack Seth but Seth was quick and ran away laughing and sticking out his tongue. Ryan shook his head laughing at Seth's antics before turning back to talk to a kid that Caleb recognized as Matt Martinez, one of the kids that the youth center had taken in. Caleb didn't know how Ryan did it. He interned at the Newport Group twice a week, was a star soccer player at Harbor, pulled off stellar grades in his AP courses, and also had time to tutor and mentor the kids at the youth center. Caleb realized that Ryan was probably taking advantage of all the opportunities presented to him and was damn proud of the boy for his work ethic. Ryan sensed he was being watched and raised his head again to catch Caleb's gaze. He gave a small smile and wave before returning back to his conversation with Matt. Caleb had to shake his head at the transformation of his relationship with Ryan over the last year.

Aside from seeing Ryan regularly at the Newport Group, Caleb had also become a regular at Ryan's soccer games. Caleb grinned to himself at finally having the chance to cheer on someone in his family at a sporting event. After raising two daughters and failing with Seth, Caleb finally had a grandson with the abilities and interest in sports. Caleb remembered the look of shock on Ryan's face when Caleb showed up to his first game of the season. While the rest of the family accepted Caleb's change of behavior relatively quickly, Ryan was a harder sell. However Caleb knew he reached a turning point when a few months later, after a close game against Pacific where Ryan scored the winning goal, Caleb had approached Ryan congratulating him on the goal and delivering a pat on his shoulder. Ryan didn't flinch at the contact and instead actually blushed a little while shyly replying thanks. Since then their relationship has become less formal and Ryan even stopped by his office sometimes to bounce off some ideas. Everyone at the Newport Group raved about Ryan and his abilities and Caleb couldn't help but have a sense of pride that there might be a third generation to carry on the family business. Watching Seth and Ryan interact made Caleb realize he was going to miss his grandsons when they head off to college next fall. He knew Seth was determined to go to college in the East Coast but Caleb hoped that Ryan would go somewhere a bit closer.

"Dad?" Kirsten voice broke Caleb out of his thoughts. "It's time to announce the scholarship winner."

Caleb collected himself and nodded. He approached the microphone that had already been set up for him. The room quieted as Caleb went up on stage and cleared his throat.

"Hi everyone. I want to thank you all for coming to the 1st Chrismukkah Party for the Newport Beach Youth Center." Caleb paused as everyone burst into applause before continuing. "When I agreed to help out with the construction of the youth center, I didn't realize how many kids we would help and provide opportunities to. While I'm sure they can all succeed on their own, a little assistance never hurt anyone. Thus every year starting this year, one individual from the center who exemplifies academic excellence and willingness to give back to the community will be rewarded the Michael Crenshaw award, a $20,000 scholarship to be used towards higher education. The scholarship is named after a man who helped me become who I am today, thus proving that a little help goes a long way. Now introducing you to the recipient of this award will be my grandson Ryan who has dedicated so much of his own time to the youth center by tutoring and mentoring and have developed a special relationship with the recipient of this scholarship."

Caleb stepped aside as Ryan went up on stage wringing his hands nervously. Caleb figured that Ryan probably wasn't comfortable with public speaking so he whispered "you'll be fine" before leaving the stage and standing next to Kirsten and Sandy. Kirsten smiled at Caleb and put her arm around him, before directing her gaze back at Ryan who was overcoming his shyness and deliberately trying to ignore the funny faces Seth was making at him from the back of the room. Caleb couldn't help but be amused by his grandsons' antics. He marveled at how two completely different personalities could complement each other so well. However he recognized that the couple standing off to his side also demonstrated that opposites attract. This was his family. Unconventional for sure but he wouldn't change them for anything. He silently said a prayer of thanks to Jeffrey Chambers and the spirits who visited him last year and opened his eyes to see the error of his ways because being here with his family and providing opportunities for kids like Ryan and his younger self was what the holiday season was all about.

The End!


End file.
